Another bumper year for Bet365, one of the world’s dominant online bookmakers, will propel the 52-year-old even higher up the top ranks of Britain’s wealthiest people. She was ranked the 19th richest person earlier this year with a net worth of £6.9bn.
Despite being one of the biggest employers in Stoke and owning the city’s former Premier League football team, the Coates family has resolutely shunned the limelight.
However, Ms Coates – who was last year revealed to be building a sprawling glass home in Cheshire complete with 7,000 square metre artificial lake, stables, walled gardens and cycle path – has still come in for criticism over her pay packet.
Luke Hildyard of the High Pay Centre, a think tank, said: “Business success should be incentivised and rewarded, but a payment a fraction of this size would still afford a lifestyle beyond the wildest dreams of most people.”
Labour MP Carolyn Harris, who formed and chaired the all party parliamentary group on gambling-related harm in the last Parliament, said: “While gambling bosses continue to line their pockets, the victims of problem gambling still aren’t getting anywhere near the support they need.